Bible Study “Love One Another”
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
"Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again." An astounding discovery! The Easter news was spread to all who would listen. The disciples told people, who in turn, told people, and to this day, we hear the message — a message of weeping and then of joy that comes with the morning of a new day. We, like the disciples, weep AND then delight in the joy bursting forth in us. We too are called to bring this message with our lives, and, if necessary, with words, to those who have not yet heard it.
Soon Jesus will not be appearing so concretely to the disciples. So, does he give them a complex strategic plan? No. He gives them a new commandment, and this will cover all they need to do. The world will recognize them as followers of Jesus because of the way they love each other.
Think of a definition or examples of love that you can think of. Yes, romantic love. What other kinds of love can you think of? Notice love of our planet earth and people who are good stewards, people who volunteer their time or talents, people who are there to help us: firefighters, nurses, etc.
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, that you help us notice your love for us, and help us love one another. Amen
Please open your Bibles to John 13:31-35 and read or read the scriptures below.
John 13:31-35
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him,[a] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.
33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Reflection Questions:
- What would you say is Jesus’ main message today. (Love.)
- What are the different kinds of love that it might be? Examples: I love my toys, I love my job, I love my child, and I love Jesus.
- Come up with some categories for types of love: Love that means it gives me pleasure, like my CD player; Love that means love between two people who join their lives together; Love that means really caring about other people and looking for what God sees in them; Love that means doing stuff that needs to be done because you are so grateful to be living on this beautiful planet. How would you explain love to a classmate, who might not be a Christian?
- Which kind of love is Jesus talking about here?
- How can we "love" someone we do not even "like?"
Additional questions:
- What does this passage tell us about: God? People?
- The relationship between God and people?
- My relationship with God?
- How do you hear this story?
- What do you think the person that wrote this would say to us today?
- What word or phrase stands out to you when you read this?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on the words or url)
Easter 5C John 13: 31-35 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XDfcM0mv-Q
Lectionary Study On John 13:31-35 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uYeFP1EJrI
Song
Love One Another - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAFMGRMhFsM or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzP2xprUeAQ
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcrEgSKs-lM
Activities:
Create an icon: define “Love” (click on ICON for examples) and draw or copy and paste the icon on the blank bookmarks (click on BOOKMARKS for examples)
Heart Banner: trace and cut out four hearts (click on HEART for examples). You can choose different colors for each heart if you wish. Tape or glue the hearts to a poster board. On the first heart write JESUS; on the second heart write LOVES; on the third heart write US and the fourth heart write ALL. Decorate the poster with other decorations and hang it in your room.
Crossword Puzzle: https://sermons4kids.com/jesus_loves_us_all_crossword.htm?fromSermonId=610 or https://sermons4kids.com/a_new_commandment_crossword.htm?fromSermonId=611
Word Search: https://thewordsearch.com/puzzle/3658420/love-one-another/
Decoder - A New Commandment: https://sermons4kids.com/a_new_commandment_decoder.htm?fromSermonId=611
How can we show Jesus love? How can we deal with "that kid" in class we do not like? How can we show love to people in our world? How can we do sneaky loving things in our families?
Prayer: Thank you, God, for the love you have shown us and for the love we hear about today. Help us to love one another and remember your words. Amen.
